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RPR Ammo Test: CCI Standard vs Norma Tac-22
Every rifle is different. I'm curious to know what you think of Tac-22 and how it shoots in your rifle? Is it a semi-auto or bolt? Do you consider it a premium or plinking ammo?
I'm sharing an ammo test I ran with my Ruger Precision Rimfire rifle. It's a factory barrel and action with only minor cosmetic upgrades like an Anarchy Outdoor Penguin grip. I got this rifle during the lockdown so ammo was scarce and selection was next to none so I never got around to testing which ammo it likes until now. For the moment, I'm restricting my tests to the rimfire ammo I can easily buy at my local Big-5 or Sportsmans, rather going for match stuff, which I'll have to mail-order.
In the last couple of years, Norma Tac-22 rimfire ammo has shown up at my local gun stores. This rimfire ammo was tailored for semi-auto rifles and AR conversions, but it has also earned a following among bolt-action shooters. Norma is a Swedish company, but this rimfire ammo is actually made in Germany by RWS. Inspecting Tac-22 you can see the RWS headstamp on each cartridge. RWS makes some well-regarded rimfire match ammo, but it has been hard to find locally. For baseline comparison, I've been using CCI Standard in this rifle. Among my gun club members, CCI Standard is probably the most popular everyday ammo for bolt-action rifles and bullseye pistol competitors.
Testing both in my factory Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle (RPR), CCI had by far better groups. I had some challenges zeroing out my scope for Tac-22, expending over 20 rounds before I achieved a reasonable zero. This sighting-in should have sufficiently seasoned the barrel with Norma wax. Despite this, my first group produced significant flyers. The average group size of Tac-22 was nearly double the spread of CCI Standard.
RESULTS
CCI Standard
Distance: 100 yards
Avg. Group Size: 1.77″
Average: 1.69 MOA
Mean Radius: .66″ / 0.63 MOA
Norma Tac-22
Distance: 100 yards
Avg. Group Size: 3.24″
Average: 3.09 MOA
Mean Radius: 1.13″ / 1.08 MOA
